


Cold Gym Floor Honeymoons

by jannika



Series: Putting Down Roots [1]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-14
Updated: 2012-08-14
Packaged: 2017-11-20 03:04:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 19,825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/580594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jannika/pseuds/jannika
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A High School AU where they are all in competitive Marching Band and out to make their senior year their tenth championship running. Louis wants to lead but not grow up, Zayn hates everything except for all the good things that keep happening to him, Harry is good luck and maybe just a little naïve, Niall only ever has whiskey and is glad he gets a guitar solo, and Liam has only ever done this in theory but he can't wait to put it into practice. Also featuring Louis crawling into Zayn's window a lot, which is no one is jealous of at all. Honestly. And a High school Zayn can't wait to get out of, even though the five of them sort of run it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cold Gym Floor Honeymoons

**Author's Note:**

> Because Zayn voiced AUs are taking over my life. This actually did take over my life. I do not know how it ended up this long. At all. This is absurdly self indulgent, since I was in competitive marching band in high school myself. ~~There may or may not still be practices flags and sabers in my parents' garage.~~ Not that it worked out anything like this at all, but the framework is the same. Um. I am aware, very, very aware that this begs a sequel. That it actually demands one. I know. I will do it. I promise. But this had to end where it did. So. For my Liam, [](http://folkloric-feel.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://folkloric-feel.livejournal.com/)**folkloric_feel** who has assured me this isn't terrible. ♥

In early May, after the musical wraps up but before prom and graduation plans take over everyone's life for a few weeks, there is a meeting to announce the band's music and student leadership for the next season. Everyone gathers after homeroom, excused from classes because when you're the regional champions nine years running and have placed in the top ten nationally for seven of those nine years, band is sort of a big deal. It's an even bigger deal because none of the sports teams have won anything in longer than anyone can remember, and the only other team that ever succeeds in anything at all is the forensics team, which, honestly, is a lot of the same kids as the band kids. Louis likes to think this makes their life like the first Bring It On movie, making him Kirsten Dunst, of course. Zayn is never sure that's entirely accurate, but whatever.

Junior year, the night before announcements, Louis actually climbs in Zayn's first floor window with a bottle of rum he'd convinced some college girls to buy him.

"It is Tuesday," Zayn says, looking up from his notebook and rolling his eyes.

"Tomorrow might just be the worst day of my entire life. If you love me, you will drink this with me," Louis says, flopping down on Zayn's bed.

"You know you're going to get it," Zayn says, rolling his eyes. Louis has been panicking for weeks that he's not going to be announced a drum major, even though Zayn is pretty sure Louis has had it in the bag since the day he'd walked into the band room the summer before ninth grade.

Zayn isn't actually sure why it matters so much. He knows how much it means to Louis, and he'll be happy for him when it happens tomorrow and all, but band has just never been a big a deal for Zayn. Honestly, he's only in band because Louis sat down next to him in fourth grade honors band and has never really left. So when Louis and his trumpet had joined marching band, Zayn and his saxophone hadn't really had much choice but to follow him. Not that Louis is his whole world or anything pathetic like that. It's just that, in this part of town, in their awful school district, Louis was sort of the only person who _would_ sit next to him in fourth grade honors band, and so things have just. Stuck. But still, band has always been so much more Louis' thing.

"They might pick someone else! Or they might make someone terrible student president and then I'll have to work with an awful person all year. Or we could have a shit show or freshman who are horrible or, oh my god, can we please drink this now?" Louis says.

"It's Tuesday," Zayn repeats.

"I already told my mom I'm staying here," Louis says.

"So I can't kick you out?" Zayn asks.

"I'd have nowhere to go. I might have to get drunk in the streets by myself. Then I'd probably get arrested and it would be all your fault. Do you really want to be responsible for that?" Louis asks. Zayn sighs and Louis beams at him and sits up, opening the bottle and taking a sip, wincing and then passing it to Zayn.

"How'd you convince your mom to let you over here on a weeknight?" Zayn asks, taking a swig because sometimes having will power and being friends with Louis don't really go together.

"You know my mom loves you. Thinks you're a good influence," Louis says.

"Clearly," Zayn says, grimacing at the burning in his throat.

"But you are, look how you're taking small sips and making judging faces at my gulps. Almost makes me think this is a bad idea," Louis says, punctuating it with a very large swig of rum.

"Very responsible of me," Zayn says.

"It is," Louis agrees.

"Your mom has to be the only adult around that thinks that," Zayn says, thinking that he's sure the reason Niall isn't here is because he's hardly allowed at Zayn's at all, let alone with Louis, let alone on a school night.

"My mom is the only adult other than your own parents you've bothered to speak to you in years," Louis returns.

"Whatever," Zayn says, "we're going to regret this tomorrow."

"Are you really not even a little nervous?" Louis says.

"What would I be nervous about?" Zayn says.

"I don't know, what if you're in charge of something? What if someone we hate is drum major? What if I have a meltdown in the middle of band room?" Louis says, downing more rum as he does.

"I won't be, and you'll be fine, hungover, but fine," Zayn says.

"What if student president is like, Olivia or Rich? I hate both of them and they would sabotage me," Louis says.

"It won't be. No one likes Rich, and if Olivia is anything it'd be Dance Captain, but that's probably going to be Danielle," Zayn says. Louis takes another large gulp and leans against Zayn, his voice more than a touch drunk when he says,

"Olivia is probably the only person who has more of a problem with you than with me."

"I don't think that's the case," Zayn says, rolling his eyes again.

"You broke her heart," Louis says.

"I did not."

"You did, Zayn the heartthrob, heartbreaker," Louis says, giggling a little.

"Olivia is just what happens when I try to talk to anyone at school who isn't you or Niall, obviously," Zayn says. Olivia had been an ill-advised dating experiment in sophomore year, three weeks and several very heavy makeout sessions and then. Well. The thing is he's never actually told Louis what happened there, just that they'd broken up, but Olivia had, with her hands down his pants no less, whispered that she was glad she was wrong about him, whispered that she'd always thought he might be gay and that she was so glad that wasn’t the case and. And maybe he could have let that go, but then she'd added things about how awful that would be and used words like _gross_ and she'd insulted _Louis_ and that had just. He'd pulled away and not said a word on the drive home, or to her since. (He's not gay, he doesn’t think, anyway. He's actually pretty sure he's bisexual, and he wishes there was someone in this damn town besides Louis or Niall he could say that to, but. He counts down to college every day.)

"She's heartbroken, pining, but you've rejected her," Louis says, a hand on Zayn's thigh and the other passing him the rum bottle.

"Shut up, Louis," Zayn says.

"That’s your judging face again," Louis says.

"Drinking on a Tuesday," Zayn says again, even as he takes another sip himself, his head starting to swim a little bit.

"This is a special occasion," Louis says, "and if you're going to make me charm college girls all by myself, the least you can do is drink with me."

"I'm sure I would have been no help at all, you're the charming one," Zayn says, not sure why he's bothering to answer Louis' nonsense at all.

"Yes, but you have such a good face," Louis says, running a thumb over Zayn's cheek as he does. Zayn shakes his head and shoves Louis' hand away,

"Seen your soulmate lately?" he asks, mostly to distract Louis, mostly to change the subject away from something that Zayn both loves and hates that Louis never understands, to change the subject away from his face and how in this town it's not a good face to have at all. Not that- whatever. Zayn knows it could be worse, but he also knows that he hates it here. Feels wrong here. When he'd been younger and they'd lived in the city proper, it had been different, better. Zayn catches the bus whenever he can, and orders a coffee and draws and counts the days until college and looks at the people and how no one looks like anyone else, how everyone is different. At school, in the supermarkets and gas stations and malls in what technically makes up their suburb, everyone looks the same. Everyone but Zayn.

"He hasn't been in homeroom lately, I miss him," Louis says, taking another drink and then taking a fistful of Zayn's shirt in his hand.

"Student council?" Zayn asks, grateful the distraction works. Harry Styles _always_ works as a distraction for Louis. He's been in love, or at least in very strong lust, with Harry since about the second week of freshmen year when Harry had breezed into Louis' homeroom (Grade 9: So-U) and drummed his pencils on his desk. Zayn has heard the story of that about four times a week since.

"Do you think if we win for the tenth year, under my leadership, he'll fall for me?" Louis says.

"I don’t see why he wouldn't," Zayn says.

"Or, me and you and Niall could form a band, like, a band like his and we could enter a battle of the bands against his and fall in star-crossed love!" Louis says.

"When do we have time to do that?" Zayn asks.

"I could sign up for student council!" Louis says.

"Again, time," Zayn says.

"I could have one of those fake offices where mostly you just skip homeroom to go to meetings but not much else," Louis says.

"Homeroom is when you get your homework done," Zayn reminds him.

"Zayn," Louis whines, "you're not helping!"

"Fine. Yes. A band is a wonderful idea. Happy?" Zayn says.

"Niall's gonna be pissed we drank without him," Louis says.

"Yeah, and he's my ride in the morning. Which I guess makes him our ride, since you're sleeping here," Zayn says.

"Our ride to doom," Louis says.

"You'll get it," Zayn says.

"Then I really would be Kirsten Dunst," Louis says, his grin lazy and very drunk.

"Sure," Zayn says.

"Do your tattoos come off too, can I lick them to see?" Louis says. Zayn shoves him.

"We're never watching that movie again," Zayn says, and he hates that he knows exactly what Louis is on about, that it's not nearly as nonsensical as it should be.

"You should adopt Harry as your brother, and then we could fall in love and he'd make me a CD," Louis says.

"I don't think it works that way," Zayn says.

"You could try," Louis says.

"Sure," Zayn says again, "I'll get on that."

"I can always count you," Louis says, and then he sort of flops completely on to Zayn's lap and starts humming nonsense songs and Zayn runs his hand through Louis' hair and closes his eyes and tries not to think about how stupidly hungover they're going to be in the morning.

****

Niall is, in fact, pissed at them on the drive to school the next morning, and he turns the music as loud as possible and swears at them a lot, just so they know how not sympathetic to their hungover plight he is. He's over it by the time they get to the band meeting, whispering things about how he doesn't so much care if he's percussion captain but that he really hopes they're doing something that allows him to play a little guitar from the pit like he had in sophomore year.

Zayn slinks down in his seat in between Niall and Louis and tries to keep his eyes closed for as long as possible. The lights in the band room are ridiculously bright and he could kill Louis for this. He doesn't know how he's going to make it through the day. He's trying to take deep breaths to quell the churning in his stomach, when Louis elbows him,

"Zayn!" he says, annoyingly enthusiastic for someone who should feel worse than Zayn does.

"What?" Zayn mutters back, not opening his eyes.

'He's here!" Louis says.

"Who?" Zayn asks.

"Harry," Niall supplies from his other side, sounding amused. Zayn opens an eye and glances across the room to see Harry sitting with a few other juniors.

"Maybe he's here to propose," Zayn says, dryly.

"You're grouchy today," Louis says.

"I wonder why," Zayn shoots back.

"I think we're starting!" Niall says, motioning to the front of the room where Paul, their band director, is standing. He launches into a speech about them being champions and their legacy and what he expects from all of them, and Zayn closes his eyes again, figuring Niall or Louis will nudge him if anything exciting happens. He half hears the music for next season announced- a Gershwin tribute- which doesn't mean much to him, but Louis makes a low noise approval so he's sure it's a good choice. He hears bits and pieces about how many incoming freshmen they have, and then an acknowledgment of upperclassmen that are joining them, Harry Styles' name being one of the ones read out. Which, actually, is interesting, if only for Louis' benefit.

The leadership announcements start after that, and Zayn keeps his eyes closed because he knows drum major will be last, and he just doesn't care much other than that. It's all the people he expected, really. Niall is percussion captain; Eleanor, who everyone likes but Zayn doesn’t know very well, is the woodwinds section leader; Ed who throws parties Louis is always dragging him to gets brass; Danielle, who is practically a professional dancer and who had made weapons line as a freshman, something unheard of until then, is the dance and colorguard captain, like he'd told Louis she would be; and her boyfriend, Liam the trombonist is band president. Which only leaves-

"And our drum major will be, Louis Tomlinson," Paul says, and the room breaks into applause. Louis stands up and bows, grinning ridiculously.

"Told you," Niall and Zayn say almost at once when he sits back down.

"Yeah, yeah," Louis says, but he's beaming. People start to talk amongst themselves then, whispering about the show and the announcements, a few people looking angry about things they didn't get, when Paul speaks up again.

"Hang on, everyone. One more thing to announce," Paul says. They all swivel their heads to look at him. Zayn glances to Louis and Niall, who shrug.

"Maybe we've got a benefactor or something? Increased budget?" Niall suggests.

'We're bringing back a student position this year, something we haven't had in years, but we think we have a student who is up for it, so, let's all give a round of applause for Zayn Malik, student drill designer," Paul says. Zayn bolts up his chair and feels the eyes of the entire room on him. He feels blood rush to his face and hears Louis and Niall cheering beside him but- _what the fuck?_ He did not, he cannot actually- he doesn't understand this at all. Paul smiles at them all and goes to his office to let them talk, since they're all off the hook for all of first period, and Zayn jumps up to follow him, ignoring Louis and Niall's calls, and very much ignoring the looks from across the room, including the one so laser-focused Zayn can actually feel it, from Liam the new band president.

"Um," Zayn says when he gets into Paul's office. Paul smiles at him.

"Congratulations," He says.

"Um," Zayn says again, "I don't understand."

"You're an artist, yes?" Paul says.

"I guess, sort of," Zayn says.

"More than sort of, from what I've seen," Paul says.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Zayn asks, crossing his arms. Paul smiles again and pulls a sheet of crumpled notebook paper out of his desk and hands it to Zayn.

"This," Paul says. Zayn glances at the sheet, and. Okay. Maybe that's his work. And maybe it's a comic. Of a marching band. Doing a song. And changing positions in each panel. But that's not. He didn't. He was just bored one day and he'd been listening to a song on repeat and it had ended in this because Louis had made band the center of their damn worlds but he didn't mean to-

"This isn't drill," Zayn says, looking up.

"Did you have a song in your head when you drew this?" Paul asks.

"Yeah, but. I mean, drill is different," Zayn says.

"You'll have help, it's not like we're leaving you all alone, you'll have Louis, and Liam, and Danielle, and myself and the rest of the staff. We already have basic outlines, we just thought you might have ideas on how to spice them up, make them more fun," Paul says. Zayn swallows.

"I don't know how to do this," he says.

"I think, and the rest of the staff thinks, that you'll be good at this. Give it a try. Don't sell yourself short," Paul says.

"Okay," Zayn says, because he's not very good at arguing with adults. Paul smiles at him again. Zayn tries to take deep breaths, not sure if his nausea is from his hangover or from this conversation.

****

Liam shows up at his door at eight the first morning of summer vacation. Zayn blinks at him, bleary eyed and in pajamas, the morning sun bright and Liam looking awake and awfully determined for this early in the morning. Looking awfully confident for someone who Zayn has never had a conversation with before.

"Are you serious?" Zayn says, and. Yeah, maybe that's not the politest thing to say when someone comes to his door. But, fucking seriously. It's eight in the morning.

"We have a lot to do. Can I come in?" Liam says. Zayn scowls at him. This is why he doesn't talk to people who aren't Louis or Niall. He doesn't know how to begin here.

"Um. Yeah," Zayn says, stepping aside and letting Liam in. Liam breezes by him, he's carrying several folders and a giant cup of coffee.

"Thanks. I know it's early but I wanted to talk to you right away. We can't let ten years slip away. Can you imagine being the seniors that lost for the first time in a decade? We can't let that happen," Liam says. Zayn wonders how much coffee he's already had.

"We would have lost if we'd waited to do this until noon? Or if you'd called first?" Zayn asks.

"We don't have time for that," Liam says, putting his stuff down on Zayn's kitchen counter while Zayn checks his own coffee pot to see if his parents had left any before they'd left for work. They haven't, of course, and he sighs and pulls things out to make some, needing something to keep up with Liam.

"We have all summer, and how do you know where I live, anyway?" Zayn asks. He's really not doing well at this. Louis would be disappointed. But. Seriously. Who does this? Who just shows up at someone's house like this?

"It's in the band directory, and considering our first practice is in two weeks, we don't really have all summer at all," Liam says.

"But we don't learn drill until band camp, which is in August," Zayn says.

"Which is sooner than you think," Liam counters. Zayn frowns.

"My address was in the directory but my number wasn't?" Zayn asks.

"I thought that might be like, your parents' number at work or something. It didn't say," Liam says.

"So thought you'd just come over?" Zayn asks.

"You could give me your cell number, for future reference. I don't know how I don't already have it," Liam says.

"Because we're not friends?" Zayn offers, hitting the 'brew' button on his coffee pot and turning around. Liam sort of stiffens at that.

"Look, whatever. If you want me to go I will, I just take this really seriously and I was hoping you did too, but if you want me to leave, just tell me," Liam says, frowning. Zayn sighs and leans back against the counter.

"You're already here, it's fine," he says, and then, because he can already hear the reprimand he'll get from Louis if he doesn't, he adds, "Sorry. I'm just not good with mornings. And you did catch me off guard. I wasn't trying to be an ass."

"I'm sorry too," Liam say, grinning, "I know not everyone likes mornings as much as me."

"Mornings and I don't get along," Zayn says.

"I could bring you coffee from now on? I have these awesome flavors? Or I guess I could come later in the day, if you really wanted?" Liam offers, he's still smiling, all warm and genuine and Zayn can feel his annoyance melting.

"Just warn me first, yeah?" Zayn says, "And I mean, if you've got good coffee to spare? We never have anything exciting around here."

"Will do," Liam says, then he smirks and adds, "I have those same pajama bottoms, by the way."

"Yeah?" Zayn asks, glancing down at his Iron Man pajama pants and blushing a little.

"I do. I wouldn't have thought you were the superhero type," Liam says.

"Seriously? I don't think there is a superhero I haven't been for Halloween," Zayn says.

"It's always the best costume," Liam says.

"In elementary school, I used to tell people I was a Power Ranger," Zayn offers. Liam beams at him.

"Really?" he asks. Zayn nods.

"Yeah. I, um. Did you want to see something?" Zayn hears himself asking, the words out before he can stop them. Liam jumps up.

"Sure," he says, still all enthusiastic and genuine. Zayn bites his lip, but he then he pushes himself away from the counter and leads Liam down the hall to his room, because he's already said it, and there really isn't anything else he can pretend he was talking about. He opens his bedroom door and allows himself a small grin at Liam's wide eyes.

"Whoa," Liam says.

"Enough the superhero type for you?" Zayn asks, smiling. He watches Liam's eyes dart from poster to poster, around to stacks of comic collects and to piles of DVDs on Zayn's floor, somehow glad Liam is seeing all this, even if he normally isn't at all good with people in his space. Liam swallows,

"Can I?" he asks, gesturing into Zayn's room. Zayn nods, weirdly endeared that Liam had asked. Weirdly endeared in general, considering how he'd felt about Liam until about five minutes ago.

"Yeah," Zayn says. Liam walks over to the wall by Zayn's bed and stops, staring at the place where Zayn has some of his own sketches hanging.

"Did you do this?" Liam asks, something like wonder in his voice.

"I did," Zayn says.

"Wow," Liam says, and he sounds really impressed which makes Zayn flush a little. He goes over to his desk and pulls out the crumpled notebook page that had lead to Liam in his room. He hands it to Liam,

"This is, um, this is, I guess, why Paul thought I'd be good at this?" Zayn says. He watches Liam's eyes scan the page, watches him raise his eyebrows, looking even more impressed than before.

"I'm sorry," Liam says. Zayn frowns.

"What?" he asks.

"I was wrong about you," Liam says.

"Excuse me?" Zayn asks.

"No, I just. You're not who I thought you were. At all," Liam says, shrugging and smiling and Zayn is pretty sure that's a compliment. He's not sure if he should press who Liam thought he was.

"You didn't know me," Zayn says. Liam nods.

"I know. We didn't know each other," Liam says.

"We still don't, really," Zayn points out.

"I'm glad we're getting to," Liam says, and he sounds so _warm_ that it makes Zayn's pulse go all stupid and quick like Liam meant something Liam couldn't have possibly meant.

"Because of superheroes?" he asks, shaking his head and trying to clear away sudden rushing thoughts about what a nice smile Liam has and how good he smells.

"Something like that," Liam says. They just look at each other for a moment, a moment that is long enough to make Zayn's pulse go even faster, and then Zayn shakes his head again and says.

"I should go check on that coffee."

"Right! Lots of work to do," Liam says, but he bites his lip when he does, like maybe his pulse is racing too.

Liam is not at all what Zayn thought he was.

****

Two weeks later, the day before their first practice, all the seniors have a party at Ed's, an all-day affair with swimming and grilling and beer bought with fake IDs that they all drink early in the day so they have time to sleep it off. Zayn doesn't really swim, but he doesn't mind being here as much as he thought he would. People keep talking to him, and he's trying really hard to be social, and it's sort of working and not as bad as he would have thought. Mostly people are just talking about how they're excited for his drill and asking how his summer has been so far, but still, it's more than normal, like being seniors together has magically made them all like each other a little more.

Danielle is telling him they'll have to meet up soon to work out some of the crossover between the choreography and the drill when Liam walks up and smiles at both of them. Zayn makes an effort he's sure is noticeable not to look at Liam shirtless, and it fails sort of spectacularly and he ends up staring and blushing a little.

"It's coming along really well, you'll be excited," Liam says to Danielle, obviously having heard their conversation.

"I already am," Danielle says, and then she kisses Liam on the check and excuses herself to go refill her plate of food.

"How long have you guys been together?" Zayn asks, staring at his feet as he does. Liam has been at his house just about every morning for the past two weeks, and Zayn's pulse hasn't stopped racing in his presence yet, which is so, so bad.

"What?" Liam asks.

"You and Danielle," Zayn says, because. He can do this. He can be friends with people. Maybe.

"Oh," Liam says, then he reaches out and tugs on Zayn's arm a little and pulls him so they're off to the side, a little secluded, "can I tell you something?"

"Sure," Zayn says, thrown and willing himself not to focus on the place on his skin Liam's hand had just been.

"We're um. We're not together like that. We just sort of, it's easier to let people think that we are," Liam says. Zayn raises an eyebrow.

"Easier?" he asks.

"For me," Liam says and his eyes do this thing like they're begging for Zayn to get what he's trying to say. Oh. _Oh._

"Oh," Zayn says, and okay. It's not like that's permission to stare at Liam's chest or arms or smile or anything, but it's easier to stare at Liam than it is to process all the explosions going off in his brain at this news, so he does it anyway.

"Yeah," Liam says, "I just thought- we're getting to know each other, right?"

"Right. I'm um, good," Zayn says, "I mean, thank you for telling me. I mean," Zayn stops and just sort of stares at Liam again, trying to find good words and failing. Liam stares back, and there is a moment when Zayn feels Liam's eyes sweep all over him, just take in from head to toe and he's certain he shivers and suddenly he's very, very aware that they're both shirtless and standing very close together and. Damn.

"I just like, it's not a secret, but I don't tell people either?" Liam says.

"No, I get it," Zayn says. Liam smiles.

"You're not swimming?" he asks, clearly done with the serious part of the conversation now. Zayn is very much okay with that.

"I don't really swim," Zayn says, "You're not drinking?"

"I don't really drink," Liam says. Zayn grins back, and- and there is water dripping down Liam because he very clearly has been swimming and it's like, tracing these lines down his body and Zayn kind of wants to trace them too, and finding out that there is a remote chance that might be sort of in the realm of possible is kind of making him dizzy.

"Louis does, though, and this is about the time when I should go find him and make sure he's still standing," Zayn says, and it's an excuse but it's also true. Liam nods,

"Okay," he says, "I'll see you later."

"Yeah," Zayn says, and he tries to run as he steps away from Liam, smiling, stupidly shirtless and apparently available Liam.

"Louis!" he says when he finds Louis by the pool, "Louis!"

"What?" Louis says, looking up.

"I. Come to the kitchen with me?" Zayn says. Louis raises an eyebrow.

"I don't know if we're drunk enough for that, darling," Louis says.

"I need to talk to you!" Zayn hisses. Louis smirks and stands up, following Zayn into the kitchen which is thankfully free of people.

"Yes?" Louis says as Zayn pulls the door shut.

"Help," Zayn says.

"Be more specific, maybe?" Louis says.

"Liam," Zayn says. Louis frowns.

"I saw you talking to him. Do you not like him? He was pretty great in the meetings we've had but if you don't like him then I guess-" Louis starts.

"No," Zayn interrupts, "that is the opposite of the problem here, Louis."

"The opposite of- oh," Louis says, and then his face breaks into a large grin.

"Yeah," Zayn says.

"This is my new favorite day. I had a shirtless conversation with Harry and you have a crush," Louis says.

"I don't, he's just," Zayn says.

"Pretty great?" Louis supplies.

"He came over to my house at eight in the morning and we have the same pajama pants and he liked my drawings and now he brings me coffee and we've been watching movies after lunch sometimes and he's like, genuine and warm and shit and he's walking around with out a shirt on and he smells really good and I," Zayn says, flushing.

"How long has this been going on?" Louis asks.

"Nothing is going on, but. He came over the first day of summer," Zayn says.

"Why am I just hearing about this now?" Louis asks.

"I didn't- I have to tell you something you can't repeat, okay?" Zayn says.

"Something other than your crush on Liam?" Louis asks.

"Yes. Promise?" Zayn says. Louis rolls his eyes.

"Scout's honor," Louis says.

"How drunk are you?" Zayn asks, stalling.

"I am fairly certain you can tell, Zayn. You've seen me drunk enough times to be my own personal sobriety test. So. You tell me," Louis says. Which is an irritatingly fair point.

"You're sort of not. Why aren't you?" Zayn asks.

"Did you miss the part where I told you I was talking to Harry?" Louis says.

"Oh, right. How'd that go?" Zayn asks. Louis groans at him and puts his hand over Zayn's mouth.

"No. Stop. Tell me your thing. The thing you dragged me into the kitchen for," Louis says, pulling his hand back.

"It's a possibility," Zayn says. Louis raises his eyebrows.

"What?" He says.

"Liam," Zayn says.

"I got that much," Louis says.

"He told me that he's- well, he didn't say but he said that he and Danielle only let people think that they're a thing because it's easier. For him. And then I think he might have like- his eyes were kind of all over me and there was a moment and help," Zayn says. Louis smirks and puts a hand on either one of Zayn's shoulders.

"He told you that?" Louis asks.

"Yeah," Zayn says.

"And what did you say?" Louis says.

"I. I told him I was glad he told me? We've been getting to know each other," Zayn says.

"That's all?" Louis asks.

"What do you mean?" Zayn asks.

"Oh god, you're such an idiot," Louis says, shaking his head.

"What?" Zayn asks.

"So, a guy you have a crush on, comes to you, shirtless, and tells you, basically, that he's into guys and you don't say that you are too? Really?" Louis says

"Oh," Zayn says.

"Honestly, Zayn," Louis says, poking Zayn's stomach with him thumb.

"That does make sense," Zayn says.

"I know," Louis says. Zayn sighs.

"So Harry?" he asks. Louis grins,

"I told him I wanted to be on student council," Louis says.

"Aren't all the offices already gone? And you're already in band with him," Zayn says.

"There is an unfilled office he can appoint me too, apparently. And I know, but the more time we spend together, the more he'll love me," Louis says.

"What office?" Zayn asks.

"I don't see how that matters," Louis says.

Maybe, Zayn thinks, they're both sort of idiots.

****

On Wednesday of the third week of rehearsals, Zayn is smoking in a corner that is technically not school property while Louis and Liam are playing bad-cop-good-cop to freshmen who just can't master walking in step and Niall is pouring water over his head and they've got a fifteen-minute window until sectionals start when Harry walks up to him.

"Hi," Harry says, grinning.

"Hey," Zayn says.

"Can I ask you something?" Harry says, leaning against the wall next Zayn.

"Sure," Zayn says.

"I don't want to step on any toes or anything," Harry says.

"What?" Zayn asks.

"Well, I joined band, and I was thinking about going out for the musical too," Harry says. Zayn studies him.

"And?" Zayn asks, lost.

"I don't want to be, like, chasing the same thing as you, here," Harry says.

"Activities to kill time until graduation?" Zayn asks.

"Louis," Harry says.

"You joined marching band for Louis?" Zayn asks, finishing his cigarette.

"Mostly for Louis, also because it can't hurt my college applications, and because I love music," Harry says. Zayn laughs.

"We're not chasing the same thing," Zayn says, "and you don't really have to chase, you know."

"Good, I mean, I didn't think so, but I had to ask because you guys are so close. And don't I?" Harry asks.

"I get it. And no. Not at all, actually," Zayn says.

"Okay," Harry says.

"It's mutual chasing," Zayn says, because, interfering isn't his thing at all, but this doesn't even seem to count, and it will get Louis what he's wanted for three years now. He feels like this is less interfering and more just being a good friend.

"Oh," Harry says, grinning.

"Yeah," Zayn says.

"Thanks," Harry says, "and you're sure you don't mind? I mean, I pass like, the best friend's judgment test?"

"I always thought it would happen, actually," Zayn says, "like, Louis has talked about you for forever, and I always thought it would happen one day, even if I had no idea if you were even like- if that was a possibility? But I always thought, even though I don't really know you, that you guys like, made sense," Zayn finishes. Harry beams at him.

"We do, don't we?" Harry asks.

"You make him happy," Zayn says.

"I don't know either, by the way," Harry says.

"What?" Zayn asks. Harry grins.

"I just know that I really like Louis, and I kind of don't care what it means, you know? Like, I just- I really, really like Louis, you know?" Harry says, and Zayn hears something really familiar in that that makes him wonder why he hasn't been friends with Harry all along.

"I do, actually," Zayn says. Harry grins brighter, and when Zayn grins back it's genuine.

Summer has somehow already more than doubled the count of people he can stand in this town.

****

That Friday Louis's Mom and sisters are out for the evening and he has Zayn, Niall, Harry, and Liam over for dinner. Zayn isn't sure how some bizarre double date plus Niall helps anything at all, but the way Louis stretches out Liam's name when he tells them who is coming over it makes it clear that he's been invited just for Zayn's benefit. They sit in Louis' backyard and Liam brings fruit salad and Niall brings ice cream and Harry snags them some bread from the bakery he apparently works at and Louis makes a ridiculous toast about their successful band season under his fantastic leadership.

They end up staying pretty late and putting on Independence Day in the living room because Harry says he's never seen it and the rest of them aren't sure how that's possible. Niall falls asleep on the couch pretty quiclly and Harry and Louis pile onto one arm chair, Louis rambling about his weird _thing_ for Bill Pullman a little, and Zayn and Liam sit on the floor debating with Will Smith is the best Will Smith. Zayn sort of falls half asleep somewhere around computer viruses that defeat aliens, his eyes snapping open when he realizes he's on Liam's shoulder.

"Sorry," he say, sitting up a little.

"For what?" Liam asks, smiling at him. Zayn smiles back, blinking the credits of the movie into focus. He glances around, Niall is still asleep and Louis is… gone. So is Harry, actually.

"Where're Lou and Harry?" Zayn asks. Liam shrugs.

"Don't know? I think they've been gone for awhile. I wasn't really paying attention," Liam says.

"You were sucked into a movie you've seen a dozen times and you didn't notice?" Zayn asks, grinning.

"Not quite," Liam says, and his voice is sort of soft and whispery even though Niall is the heaviest sleeper in the world and Harry and Louis are off somewhere so it's just them and this is not a healthy thing for Zayn's pulse at all.

"What do you mean?" Zayn asks.

"I wasn't watching-" Liam starts, but then Niall shifts on the couch above them, knocking a pillow onto the floor, and it must sort of snap Liam out of something because he shakes his head and says, "did you wanna go find them?"

"Yeah," Zayn says, "can't leave Louis unattended for too long."

"Okay," Liam says. He stands up and pulls Zayn up with him, and if Zayn grips onto his arm a little longer than he strictly needs to in order to steady himself, well. Liam doesn't seem to mind. They head down the hall towards Louis' room, because Zayn can't figure out where else they would have gone. It occurs to him when they're outside Louis' door that they might want to knock first, considering the conversation he'd had with Harry earlier that week and all, and for a second he almost thinks they shouldn't interrupt. Then he thinks that Louis' mom will be home before long at all, so interrupting them might be a good thing. He's about to voice some of this to Liam when voices float though Louis' bedroom door, murmuring and soft and intimate.

"We found them?" Liam says, blushing a little.

"Yeah," Zayn says.

"Should we like, knock?" Liam asks, "they sound sort of. Occupied."

"Lou?" Zayn says, knocking once and waiting. He glances at Liam, "knocking is a good call."

"Really?" Louis' voice calls back, "Seriously?"

"We're like ten minutes away from parental supervision around here. Just a warning," Zayn calls back. Louis sort of groans and Harry laughs in a muffled way that sounds an awful lot like he's _under_ Louis, which is sort of more than Zayn needed to know- not that Louis wouldn't have filled him on all the details later, but still. There is a very definite sound of bed squeaking then and more laughter from Harry and whispers Zayn tries not to make out. Harry and Louis appear at the door a minute later, disheveled and flushed.

"Congratulations?" Zayn offers.

"Shut up," Louis says, with no force behind it at all and a giant smile on his face. Harry is like, death gripping Louis' hand and rocking back and forth.

"This won't work at all, boys, here," Liam says, and he reaches out and buttons Harry's shirt so it actually hides the marks on collarbone and then he tucks Louis' shirt in and sort of tugs at so it's a less bed-wrinkled, "you should probably both run a hand through your hair, too."

"Are you always this useful?" Louis asks.

"I try," Liam says, grinning.

"You can stay," Louis says, but he looks at Zayn as he says it, and Zayn tries not to sink into the carpet.

 

 

****

The thing about writing drill is that Zayn actually kind of really enjoys it. It's just like, he listens to the songs over and over and he closes his eyes and he pictures movement to them and then he plots the movement with dots and numbers on the grid that represents the field and then at practice he gets to watch people do it. Which is pretty awesome, actually.

"Hey," Niall says one day during band camp while they walk to lunch together, "are you trying to kill me?"

"No?" Zayn says. Niall shakes his head,

"You might want to edit that thing where I have to make like, fifty yards in a sixteen count then," Niall says. Zayn winces.

"Shit," he says.

"I'm also going backwards, and drums are heavy, and I might run into Harry, which would just devastate Louis," Niall says.

"I'll fix it, sorry," Zayn says.

"Good," Niall says.

"Sorry," Zayn says again.

"Nah," Niall says, "It's good though, you know?"

"Is it?" Zayn asks.

"It looks good, I mean, from what I can see, and it's good that it's hard. Championships and all. I just don't want to die," Niall says.

"I promise not to write anything else that might endanger your life," Zayn says.

"I'd appreciate it," Niall says, "and really, it looks great so far."

"You think?" Zayn asks.

"Yeah, and I mean, I could never do it. I don't know how you do. I'm impressed," Niall says.

"Thanks," Zayn says.

"You like it, don't you?" Niall asks.

"I guess," Zayn says. Niall grins at him.

"I promise not to tell anyone if you tell me you do. I wouldn't want to ruin your reputation for hating all things high school," Niall says.

"I like you, usually," Zayn says, grinning. Niall smirks.

"Yes, me and Louis are the only things you don't hate in this terrible, horrible, high school life," Niall says, rolling his eyes fondly.

"Pretty much," Zayn says.

"Lies," Niall says, "I think you're having fun writing drill and fun in band this season. I think you care if we win championships and I also think you like Harry and Liam and maybe even like, Ed and Danielle and Eleanor and people," Niall says.

"I think that's a bit of an exaggeration," Zayn says.

"But not a total lie?" Niall says.

"Not a total lie," Zayn agrees. Niall grins at him.

"Your secret's safe with me," he says. They reach their table then, Harry, Liam and Louis already there, talking about some poor freshmen who'd fallen this morning. Zayn makes a mental note to check that kid's movements in his drill too. (Harry and Liam have been sitting with them lately, like all of a sudden the five of them are a group of five, like they're some sort of thing- and Liam always sits next to Zayn like maybe they're some sort of thing and it's all very- Zayn does not actually know what is happening to his life.)

"I was starting to think you weren't joining us," Louis says as they sit down. Zayn rolls his eyes,

"Because you've been here, what, two minutes longer than us?" Zayn asks.

"It was ages, you know I can't spend that much time without you, I get all itchy," Louis says.

"I think that's probably your hairspray doing that, actually," Niall says. Louis throws a grape at him.

"Mixing me up with Zayn, are you?" He asks.

"Hey," Zayn says.

"So," Harry says, "I was thinking."

"Yeah?" Louis says, instantly sort of hyper focused like he gets with Harry.

"My step-dad has this lakeside bungalow? It's a two hour drive and I thought maybe we could all go up like, the weekend before school starts?" Harry says.

"Like a seniors thing?" Niall asks.

"Like a just the five of us thing, actually? If you guys wanted?" Harry says.

"Yes," Louis says, "That's a very, very good idea."

"I like it too," Liam offers, and he glances at Zayn as he says it so Zayn says.

"Yeah, okay."

"Let's do it," Niall say. Harry grins at all of them.

"Good," he says.

Liam kicks his foots against Zayn's under the table, and it lingers for too long to be unintentional, and Zayn swallows and thinks, hopes, dreams, that the weekend away might turn out to be a very important weekend for them.

****

"Take a walk with me?" Liam asks late in the day, finding Zayn outside while he's having an after-dinner cigarette, "Harry said there are trails around here and stuff?"

"Okay," Zayn says, because turning down alone time with Liam is not a thing he is even capable of doing.

"I think Niall was breaking into the beer, so, I mean, you can go back in now if you wanted, but Louis said I should I come out after you and Harry mentioned about the trails and I sort of thought we could," Liam says.

"Let's walk," Zayn say. Liam beams at him. Zayn puts out his cigarette and heads off with Liam.

"You sure?" Liam says, even though they've already started down a trail.

"As long you're sure we won't get lost forever in the woods. I'm not so good with nature," Zayn says.

"Or mornings or swimming?" Liam says, grinning, "and yeah, Harry said they're all like, super simple circles."

"You do cross country, right? You're used to this?" Zayn asks. Liam smiles.

"I do," Liam says.

"Are you good?" Zayn asks.

"You could come watch, find out," Liam says.

"I don't really, school events. Sporting events. Not my thing," Zayn says. Even though he knows he would totally go, like, put on a fucking letterman's jacket and cheer for Liam on the sidelines if Liam asked. It's sort of sad, actually. He's not sure he should let Liam know that just yet.

"I'm pretty sure that as part of the band you go to every football game," Liam says.

"Different," Zayn says.

"How?" Liam asks.

"We're not really there for them, it's for us," Zayn says.

"And band isn't a school activity?" Liam asks. Zayn sighs.

"I have to do something to kill time until graduation," he says.

"Can I ask you something?" Liam asks.

"Okay," Zayn says.

"Before we got to know each other, before this summer, I could never figure out why you were in band at all, like, you just seemed to hate it and everyone so much and like, you remember when I said you weren't who I thought you were?" Liam asks.

"Yeah?"

"I guess I just, why do you hate it so much? Or like, do you really hate it that much?" Liam asks. Zayn stops and leans against a tree and sighs again,

"Kind of?" Zayn says.

"Kind of?" Liam repeats.

"It's been a good summer, I guess, but I just want to get out of here, this town and high school and all of it. Band is just Louis' thing, and Louis is my best friend, and here I am, I guess? But I mostly just want out," Zayn says. Liam frowns,

"Where do you want to be?" He asks.

"A city, any city, anywhere but right here. Some place with, like, museums and parks and art and where I can go to college and where everyone isn't the same," Zayn says. Liam steps all the way into Zayn's personal space and furrows his brow.

"Has it been bad here?" Liam asks, all concerned and wonderful.

"I hate it a lot sometimes," Zayn confesses.

"No, I mean, I meant- I have this neighbor who listens to these things on the radio really loudly with the windows open, and, like, sometimes I hear him on the phone too, and the things he says and I know he's not the only one around here who thinks things like that and I- I mean, do people, like, do they say awful things to you?" Liam asks.

"Not usually with words, it's more looks, but. Yeah. It's happened," Zayn says. Liam winces.

"I'm sorry, Zayn," he says.

"Whatever," Zayn says, shrugging. Liam just looks so damn sincere and it's just- Zayn isn't used to that, "I mean, it's not like you fit here either, really."

"I'm really good at pretending, though," Liam says, frowning again.

"I know. I'm not," Zayn says.

"You shouldn't have to be," Liam says.

"Neither should you," Zayn says.

"It's not quite the same," Liam says. He's got a hand rested on Zayn, around his collarbone and Zayn can feel Liam's breath and Liam is just so, he's just so _Liam_ and Zayn hears himself say,

"It sort of is, though. Or half the same? Three quarters the same, maybe? Something like that," he finishes. Zayn can actually like, see the wheels in Liam's head turning at that, running that through in his head. Liam grins, small and quick.

"Can I ask you something else?" he asks.

"Of course," Zayn says, and he's pretty sure he's never said _of course_ to question in his entire life, but. Liam.

"Your tattoos, where'd you go to get them?" Liam asks.

"I take the bus, well, three buses, into the city, a friend of my cousin does them," Zayn says. Liam smiles again and he- holy shit- he runs a finger across the edges of the lettering peeking out from under Zayn's shirt, on his skin, making his pulse race faster than ever.  
"Next time you get one, can I come?" Liam asks.

"I, yeah, okay," Zayn says.

"Really?" Liam asks.

"Yeah," Zayn says.

"Thank you," Liam says. His fingers are still tracing over Zayn's skin and Zayn knows he's breathing heavy and there is something happening here and he doesn't, this is like-

"Liam?" He says.

"Zayn?" Liam says, and his smile is right there, so stupidly close to Zayn's own mouth and his hands are till moving and Zayn reaches up one of his own hands to still Liam's, just for a minute and he says,

"What are we doing?"

"I don't know, actually?" Liam says, biting his lip a little.

"No?" Zayn asks.

"I've only ever, theoretically?" Liam says.

"How's it working out in practice?" Zayn asks, taking his free hand and pulling Liam in even closer.

"I think-" Liam starts, and then- because, of course, of course, of course- Louis' voice cuts through the woods, loud and a little worried and says,

"Do we need to send out a search party? Haz is getting worried the trails aren't as safe as he remembered."

"Oh, we should go back, I guess," Liam says, and he starts to pull back a little, pull away a little. Zayn is pretty sure he actually groans as he grips the back of Liam's shirt and halts his movement,

"Not yet," he says, and then he pulls Liam back in and he kisses him. There is this moment when their faces mostly just sort of bump and the angle is awkward and then they settle into it and Zayn runs his hands up to grab the side of Liam's face and he sucks on Liam's bottom lip and-

"So much better in practice," Liam says, gasping and pulling back a little. Zayn grins,

"I'm not normally good with first moves," he says, trailing his thumb down Liam's neck.

"First moves, swimming, mornings, nature, high school, this town. I got it," Liam says, "I'm not sure if counts as a first move when I was kind of groping you."

"Kind of?" Zayn asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Was it a lot?" Liam asks.

"It might have been," Zayn says.

"Did you mind?"

"Not at all," Zayn says, leaning in to kiss Liam again, "he really will send out a search party," he says when he pulls back.

"Yeah," Liam says, nodding as he leans in to kiss Zayn this time.

Everyone can wait just a few more minutes.

There is this weird thing that happens at school with the five of them, where not only are they very much a thing, but like, everyone knows the five of them are a thing. There are rumors, Zayn knows, about how close they are, but between Harry, Liam, and Louis, someone among them is in charge of or the star of pretty much everything that matters at their school. So people weirdly respect them, even if they whisper, and Zayn isn't sure what to do with it at all. Louis climbs in his window the second Thursday of the school year, one football game down with another tomorrow and a competition the day after that, their first of the year. The first real test of Louis' leadership and Zayn's drill- and of that guitar solo they had, in fact, been able to work in for Niall. Thankfully, Louis does not have a bottle in his hand this time. 

"I have a dilemma," Louis says, flopping down on Zayn's bed. 

"Which is?" Zayn asks, closing his English textbook and rolling over to face Louis. He didn't really need to study anymore tonight anyway. 

"I'm all conflicted, Zayn," Louis says. 

"About?"

"Did you know that in this competition season, there are four bus rides lasting over two hours, and then, of course, provided we win regionals, a six hour drive and an overnight stay or possibly a whole weekend depending on where we rank?" Louis says, running his hands through his hair like this is terribly stressful and not the same schedule they have every year. 

"I'm aware," Zayn says. 

"And of course if we make it we'll be four in a room but we'll sneak Niall in, so whatever, it will be the five of us," Louis says. 

"Okay."

"But what if we lose and there is no hotel room?" Louis asks. 

"What?" 

"If we lose and there is no hotel room to put the five us in," Louis says. 

"Well, we'd have to be ranked low overall, not just lose, to not qualify. Our numbers would have to be pretty shit all season. And we won't lose. Ten years running, right?" Zayn asks. 

"Optimism is a weird look on you," Louis says. Zayn rolls his eyes. 

"What's the conflict?" 

"Homecoming," Louis says. 

"I'm lost," Zayn says. 

"I can't do both," Louis says, like Zayn is missing something really obvious here. He rolls over so he's sort of laying half on top of Zayn.

"Do both what?" Zayn asks. Louis sighs.

"Obviously, if we're super public about things, Harry and I wouldn't be allowed to room together at Nationals, which would be awful, but if we stay like we are, we can't do Homecoming," Louis says.

"You're conflicted about Homecoming? Like we're school dance sorts of people?" Zayn asks. 

"If you hadn't noticed, we're sort of important around school," Louis says. 

"So?"

"So, we're probably expected to go Homecoming, and if Harry and I went it would be, like, a big deal statement, and I think Harry would be really into that? But then we'd have to sleep in separate rooms, and sneaking Niall in is one thing, but they might, like, separate all five of us and patrol the halls for good measure and that would just suck so much," Louis says. 

"I think Nationals are more important than Homecoming, Lou," Zayn says. 

"But what if we don't even win and we don't get to go and I don't get to make a statement or share a hotel room?" Louis says. 

"Are we even around for Homecoming? Isn't there an all-day competition that day?" Zayn asks. 

"Yeah, but we'll probably be back in plenty of time," Louis says, "And I just think it would mean a lot to Harry."

"Do you want to fight for your right to Homecoming Dance, or do you just think it would make Harry happy?" Zayn asks. 

"Both? I think?" Louis says. 

"You've never gone to Homecoming, or cared about anything school related that isn't band or the musical," Zayn says. 

"I'm on student council now," Louis says. Zayn rolls his eyes. 

"Louis," he says. 

"I know, I know. But, like, you know how we've both always just wanted to get the fuck out of high school as unscathed as possible?" Louis asks. 

"Yeah?" Zayn says, and he doesn't add, because now isn't that time, that he's never been sure Louis so much wants to get through unscathed as much as he wants to avoid growing up which generally means avoiding things like this, but whatever. 

"Harry makes me feel like it might be worth it," Louis says, "it's terrible."

"I think that's a good thing," Zayn says. 

"Is it?" Louis asks. 

"I'm pretty sure," Zayn says.

"So what do I do?" Louis asks. They've sort of become wrapped in each other as they've talked, a lazy cuddle that has always been one of the bricks in the foundation of their friendship. Zayn sighs into Louis' hair. 

"Maybe wait for prom?" He suggests. 

"You think?" Louis asks. 

"Nothing to worry about by prom, you know? Everything is over, but you could go out with a bang," Zayn says. 

"What if," Louis starts, then stops, curling farther into Zayn. 

"What if?" Zayn repeats. 

"I mean, that's a long way from now, Zayn. Harry might not still love me by then," Louis says. 

"I thought he was your soulmate," Zayn says. 

"Hey, I'm being serious here," Louis says. 

"I know. I kind of was too. You'll still be together, Lou," Zayn says.

"You don't know that," Louis says.

"I don't, but I'd be really, really surprised if I was wrong," Zayn says. 

"Again with the optimism, what's with you?" Louis asks. 

"I'm trying to be helpful!" Zayn protests. 

"Are you getting laid, is that what this is? Have you and Liam taken things to the next level and you didn't tell me?" Louis asks. 

"How did you possibly hear me saying I think you and Harry are good together as a sex confession?" Zayn asks. 

"You didn't deny it!" Louis says, looking up at Zayn.

"Oh my god, Louis. No. Liam and I are still nicely PG-rated, okay?" Zayn says. 

"I'm pretty sure by virtue of Liam also being a guy you're not technically PG-rated," Louis says. 

"Why are we friends?" Zayn asks. 

"Our love is forever and you know it," Louis says. 

"Maybe," Zayn says. Louis halfheartedly shoves him and falls quiet for a minute. 

"So, you think we should wait until prom?" He asks. 

"I think it might be the best thing, that way you don't have to worry about it during band season," Zayn says. 

"Aww, you care about band," Louis says. 

"You care about band. This is all you've talked about for years," Zayn says. 

"You care too, it's adorable," Louis says. 

"Whatever," Zayn says. 

"Prom?" Louis asks again.

"We'll be ten-time champions by then, and you'll have starred in the musical and Harry will have organized a million things for student council and Liam will probably be valedictorian or something and have track medals and we'll all know what we're doing next year and we can go out on a big moment, you know?" Zayn says. 

"Seriously, this optimism thing is so weird on you," Louis says. 

"This is what happens when I try to help," Zayn says. Louis' eyes go back and he grabs Zayn's hand. 

"Hey, you said we," he says, questioning and exciting.

"No promises," Zayn says. 

"But?" Louis asks. 

"Let's revisit this in April? It's. Possible," Zayn says. Louis beams at him and laces their finger together. 

"You know I really love Liam, right? Did I tell you I'm happy for you?" Louis asks. 

"You too," Zayn says. Louis grins.

"It's strange, isn't it? It's like, how does five people feel like so many more than three? But it does, doesn't it?" 

"It really does," Zayn agrees. 

Five is good, he thinks. He hopes it lasts. 

****

Their second competition is a two and half hour bus ride and a much bigger deal than the first, which they'd won easily. This one is late Saturday evening, they don't even announce winners until it's cold and dark out, and they're up against some of their rivals, schools whose entire motivation for years has been to beat them. The first week was easier, school whose programs aren't as a big deal. It had been a good one, but an expected one. They'd gotten good scores though, enough that they were ranked twelfth nationally going into this week. They win. They don't just win overall, they sweep every category. By a lot. Zayn had been nervous watching some of the other bands- they all had, 

"Shit. That was perfect form," Danielle whispers at the clunking uniform-catching sound of their rival school's weapon's line.

"Oh God, that guy is their drum major? I hate that guy," Louis hisses, gesturing toward their podium. 

"Are they the ones?" Harry asks. 

"They hate us," Ed says.

"And we hate them," Niall adds. 

"It's the way it's always been," Liam says. 

"They booed you, us, right?" Harry asks. 

"They did! We were rehearsing at Nationals during freshman year and they walked past and booed us. They have no class at all," Eleanor says. 

"All of them?" Harry asks. 

"No, it was just like, a group of them walking past our rehearsal, not some official thing, but still," Danielle says.

"They were bitter because we barely won that year, what was it, Li?" Louis says. 

"A tenth of a point, and we didn't beat them in every category, just overall," Liam says. 

"They were so bitter," Niall says. 

"And classless," Eleanor says. 

"They still are," Zayn says, "there were a few of them I recognized glaring at us when we got off our bus."

"Has there always been a rivalry, or did that start it?" Harry asks. 

"I think always?" Ed says, looking around. 

"Yeah, I mean that's as far back as we really were around for, but I'm pretty sure it's like, as long as both schools have competed in this circuit," Liam says. 

"Assholes," Louis says. 

"They look good, though," Danielle says. 

"We were better," Niall says, "my guitar solo was fucking awesome tonight."

"And I look good on the podium," Louis says. 

"And Zayn's drill is more complex than what they're doing," Liam says. 

"And we execute it really well," Eleanor says. 

"We've got this," Louis says, "no one else is even a threat."

When they do win, Zayn gets a rush of pride watching Louis accept their award and everything is a mess of hugs and shouts and joy that carries them all the back to the bus. The five of them have the back seats claimed- Louis had declared it on their first ride a football game- so the last row is theirs all season. Liam slides in next to Zayn, vibrating with energy. 

"Someone check if rankings are up yet!" Louis shouts everyone is back on the bus. Liam whips out his phone and Zayn isn't even a little surprised to see over his shoulder that he's got the website bookmarked. 

"It's only been like, half an hour since we won, it's probably not up yet. Sometimes it takes till Monday," Zayn reminds him. 

"Yeah but sometimes it's right away," Niall says, comfortably slouched in the middle. 

"Fuck," Liam says, and Zayn is pretty sure the entire bus turns to look at him because Liam is not exactly the saying 'fuck' loudly sort, generally. He glances around at everyone, and Zayn sucks in a breath at the list on Liam's phone. 

"We're fourth," he says, and the bus just sort of dissolves into something like hysteria because they haven't been higher than sixth in years and this is a really big deal. Liam shifts closer to Zayn on their seat.

'This is you," he whispers.

"This is everyone. I didn't do anything," Zayn says. 

"You did," Liam says. 

"You did more than I did, you're in charge of everything," Zayn says. Liam shakes his head. He looks up, glancing around to how everyone is celebrating and no one is paying attention to them and Niall is pulled into conversation with Ed and- Liam leans in even closer and pulls one of their hideous, ugly ass band-issue raincoats off the back of the seat in front of them and over their laps. Zayn gulps. 

"I think we're going to have the best season yet, because of you," Liam says. 

"Li," Zayn manages, barely, because Liam is running his hand all over Zayn's thighs and Zayn's brain is sort of melting. 

"Can I?" Liam breathes in Zayn's ear, and. Fuck. 

"You want to?" Zayn asks, and Liam nods against his ear, eager and energy and like he's turning his buzz from winning into lust. Which. Zayn is not exactly complaining. 

"I've never, but I want to, if you want?" Liam says. 

"Yeah," Zayn says, "if you're sure?"

"Very sure," Liam says, and then he's reaching into the loose waist of Zayn's after-competition sweats and into his boxers and Zayn leans his head back against the seat, torn between closing his eyes and just staring at Liam. He tries to watch Liam for as long as he can, tries to memorize this moment, tries to memorize Liam's face here. Before long at all, though, it's too much and he has to close his eyes and just sort of feel and then swallow down a groan as he finishes. 

"How was that one in practice?" he asks when he opens his eyes again, finding a very pleased-with-himself-looking Liam. 

"I, you tell me? I hope awesome?" Liam says, blushing a little. 

"It's not like I have all the experience in the world here either," Zayn says, "But. Um. Damn."

"Yeah?" Liam says, looking pleased again. 

"Awesome is an understatement," Zayn says. Liam leans against him against him, smiling, and Zayn takes deep breathes and tries to move again, tries to do anything but feel and melt into Liam. 

It's a long bus ride. They have time. 

****

They stay in the top five for the next three weekends and Louis tells Zayn he's decided to skip Homecoming altogether because at this rate they're going to be at Nationals all weekend, ranked high enough to perform on Saturday and Sunday, and he's not about to mess that up. Everything is going like, really, really well. Harry corners Zayn at his locker one day before rehearsal. 

"I have several questions for you," Harry says. Zayn turns to look at him. 

"Okay," Zayn says. 

"We're friends, right?" Harry says. 

"Yeah, I mean, I thought so," Zayn says.

"Good, I did too," Harry says. 

"So?" Zayn says. 

"You told Louis not to take me to Homecoming?" Harry asks. Zayn shuts his locker door and shakes his head. 

"I told Louis to take you to prom instead. So we can go out on a high note," Zayn says. Harry bites his lip like he's considering this. 

"I try really hard not be jealous here," Harry says. 

"Jealous?" Zayn repeats.

"I know, I know what you said before and I know what Louis has said and I know you and Liam seem really happy and I know that Niall laughed at me the time I asked him, but sometimes I just sort of wish I'd been around longer, that I didn't wait so long," Harry says. Zayn frowns. 

"I'm not, I really just think you guys will make it to prom and, like, so far beyond and I think it would be a good end to the year, honestly, I'm not trying to get in the way of anything, Harry," Zayn says. 

"I know, I know that, I do and I wouldn't even, it wouldn't even be a thing if," Harry says, rambles, really. 

"What?" Zayn asks. 

"Nothing, I just. As long as the five of us are just honest, you know?" Harry says, and there is this edge in his voice Zayn can't quite place. 

"I think we all always are," Zayn says. 

"Yeah, No. I'm sorry. I'm not going to stand here and ask you things I should talk to Louis about," Harry says. 

"Okay," Zayn says. 

"There was something else totally unrelated I wanted to talk to you about, though," Harry says. 

"Sure," Zayn says.

"I was visiting my sister on Sunday, and I got this for you," Harry says, reaching into his bag and pulling out a large, glossy-looking pamphlet, "What?" he asks, looking up at Zayn's raised eyebrows.

"I'm trying to remember if I knew you had a sister. You got me something?" Zayn says. 

"Gemma!" Harry says, as if that will help, "She's at the Art Institute! Have I really never told you that?"

"I don't think so," Zayn says. Harry shakes his hair out of his eyes and hands the pamphlet thing to Zayn. 

"I mean, I don't know if you've already got a dream school in mind or anything, but Louis didn't think you had and I saw this and I thought it was like, your thing?" Harry says. 

"Yeah," Zayn says, flipping the pages and reading things about student art shows and portfolios and campus life. 

"Yeah? Because Gemma said we could all go for tour and like, maybe come to a party at her dorm after band season and I thought we could go up in a couple weeks?" Harry says. 

"Us?" Zayn says. 

"It can't hurt for all five of us to see all the colleges we can, right?" Harry says. And, Zayn is pretty sure that isn't logic at all and that he should probably say something about how college decisions aren't really a team effort and the five of them don't have to do everything together but-

"You already set it up, didn't you?" Zayn asks. Harry shrugs. 

"We can change it if the date doesn't work for everyone," he says. Zayn rolls his eyes, but he's grinning. 

"Has anyone ever told you're sort of exhausting sometimes?" Zayn asks. 

"Once or twice. It's endearing though, right?" Harry says.

"I'm still deciding," Zayn says. Harry sort of beams at him, though, like he knows that's a lie. 

Zayn should probably mind a lot more than he does. 

****

They're done with their competition, done and victorious over six other schools, in plenty of time for Homecoming. Paul had assured them all they would be, and Zayn had still been doubtful, not that he was going anyway. So whatever. It turns out, though, that everyone else, everyone else but Niall, ends up going. Harry takes, as friends of course, his student council vice president, some girl named Jenna that Zayn doesn't know at all and Louis does the same with Eleanor. They double and Zayn thinks it's awfully thinly veiled. Then again, he also thinks people see what they want to see. Liam and Danielle are actually on Homecoming Court, which is really, really weird. Liam trips all over himself making sure Zayn doesn't mind and telling him over and over that it was just they'd planned to go to this together for years now and Zayn assures him at least a dozen times that it's fine. Really. It's fine. 

He heads to Niall's after the competition, and while everyone else puts on formal wear and heads to the gym, Zayn and Niall get drunk on Niall's back porch. 

"I heard that, like, five girls asked you. Why are you sitting here with me?" Zayn asks.

"You know no one at school is prettier than you," Niall says, smirking into his cup.

"Seriously," Zayn says, taking a small sip of his drink and wincing. Somehow Niall always manages to mix things even stronger than if they were just drinking liquor straight from the bottle. That has to be a life skill of some sort.

"Dating's a lot of work and I don't feel like it?" Niall shrugs. 

"Fair enough," Zayn says. 

"I mean, I guess if I was really interested in someone? But I kind of like things they way they are right now. Don't want them to change and get all complicated," Niall says. 

"I don't think it's always complicated," Zayn says. He's not sure that's true, but he hopes it is. 

"Looks that way to me," Niall says. He takes another gulp of his drink and adds, "is it weird?"

"Is what weird?"

"Homecoming? You're you and Liam is like Mr. High School over there. He's on Homecoming for fuck's sake. Your boyfriend. Boyfriend? Is on Homecoming court," Niall says, raising his eyebrows in question on the second _boyfriend_ like he wants to make sure he's chosen the right word. Niall is good that way, really. 

"Not as weird as you'd think? And yes. Boyfriend. I think, anyway," Zayn says. 

"I like him. Liam, I mean. I wasn't sure at first why you did, but I get it, I think," Niall says. 

"Why not?" Zayn says, and it's possible it's a little slurred.

"You? Because like, I don't know. Louis and Harry make sense from, like, super far away, I think even Paul and people are on to them but don't want to say anything? But like. You have to look closer to get you and Liam," Niall says, he's sort of swaying back and forth. Niall gets like this when he's drunk, rambling and sincere and just a touch philosophical. 

"Because he's some sort of model high school student and because there was a rumor, like, every day in tenth grade that I was expelled for one reason or another?" Zayn asks.

"Something like that. Except you're secretly a star student and you've had what, one detention once?" Niall says. 

"Dress code violation," Zayn says, taking an extra large gulp at the memory. 

"You badass," Niall says. 

"That's me," Zayn says. Niall giggles and takes another long sip of his drink.

"What was I saying?" he asks. 

"Um. Me and Liam?" Zayn says. 

"Right. I like him. You guys are good," Niall says. 

"Thanks?" Zayn says. 

"You really don't mind that he's there and you're not?" Niall asks. 

"Nah," Zayn says, shrugging. He maybe takes a larger than needed drink at that, though. Niall notices. 

"I think, like, I think it would be understandable if you did?" Niall says. 

"I don't," Zayn says. Niall raises an eyebrow. 

"You've had a bit too much to drink to hold on to stoic," Niall says. 

"It's fine. New," Zayn says. 

"New?"

"New, it's all really new. Slow is good. Slow is not being bothered by things like this," Zayn says, closing his eyes a little. 

"I don't know if I should be impressed or not," Niall says. 

"Impressed?"

"It's weird, yeah? Cause, like, you're you. And he's Liam? And I get it, but like. Fucking homecoming court. Liam, like, belongs to everyone, to the whole school. You don't share well," Niall says. 

"I'll remember that next time you beg me for a cigarette," Zayn says. 

"Says the guy with my hard-stolen whiskey in his hand. And you know what I meant," Niall says, rolling his eyes. 

"It's fine," Zayn repeats.

"I think you need more to drink," Niall says. 

At least it's not a school night.

****

Zayn wakes up to a faint tapping sound at his window and the numbers on his clock reading a blurry two a.m. He reaches for his glasses, puzzled. Louis doesn't knock. He heads over to his window and pulls it open- and Liam smiles sheepishly at him from the yard. 

"Can I come in?" Liam asks. 

"Yeah," Zayn says, stepping aside to let Liam climb in. His head is sort of fuzzy still from Niall's strong drinks, but he's pretty sure this is actually happening.

"Hi!" Liam says once he's inside, ridiculously cheerful for two in the morning. 

"Hey," Zayn says, "why are you here? How are you here?"

"I missed you tonight? So I snuck out when I got home," Liam says. 

"You snuck out?" Zayn asks.

"Is that okay? Do you not want me here?" Liam asks. Zayn reaches out and tugs Liam in. 

"I like that you're here," he says, kissing Liam softly. Liam licks his own lips a little when they pull back. 

"Drunk?" He asks. 

"Not anymore, I don't think anyway," Zayn says. 

"You taste like toothpaste and…rum?" Liam questions, clearly guessing on the last bit, which is really unfairly adorable. Zayn pulls on Liam's hand again and tugs him over to his bed so they're both sitting on the edge. 

"Niall only ever has whiskey," Zayn says. 

"I was close. I think," Liam says. Zayn grins and kisses him again.

"I'm glad you're here," Zayn repeats. 

"I really did miss you," Liam says. 

"Good," Zayn says, running a hand over Liam's shirt. Liam pulls back and shakes his head a little, 

"Wait," Liam says, "I mean, don't stop doing that, please, but. I'm sorry?"

"What?" 

"You know how I asked you if you minded me going tonight?" Liam asks. 

"I remember," Zayn says. He keeps his hand moving, tracing lines on Liam through his shirt. He did ask, after all. 

"And you said you didn't?" Liam asks. 

"I did."

"I think I mind. That I went," Liam says. Zayn stills his hand. 

"What do you mean?" He asks. 

"I didn't like being there without you," Liam says. Zayn swallows. 

"Okay?" he says. 

"So, I sort of came over here to ask you if you'll go to prom with me. And you're not allowed to tell me you're not good with dances," Liam says. 

"You came to my room at two in the morning to ask me to prom?" Zayn repeats. It's possible he's stalling. Just a little. 

"Yes?" Liam says. 

"You can't just ask me now to something in May," Zayn says. 

"Sure I can," Liam says. 

"Li," Zayn says. 

"Why not? Aren't you the one who suggested Louis and Harry do prom?" Liam asks. 

"Yeah, but-" Zayn starts. 

"So they can plan for it but we can't?" Liam asks. 

"I didn't say that," Zayn says, "I just. Can we revisit this one in like, April?" Liam frowns. 

"Why?" Liam asks.

"It's just all so new," Zayn says, which is almost exactly what he'd said to Niall earlier. 

"We're seventeen, everything is new. That's sort of the point," Liam says. 

"I know," Zayn says. 

"I know it's months away, and I'm not asking you to like, sign a contract in blood or whatever, I just don't want to do something like this without you if I have a choice, that's all. So if come May you're still a choice I can make, and, like, I really hope you are, you know? If that's what is then I just want, to go with you. To make it matter," Liam says. He grabs for Zayn's hand as he does, lacing their fingers and Zayn hears _you matter_ in Liam's last sentence and it does stupid, irrational things to his heart. 

"Okay," he says. 

"Really?" Liam says, and he like, bounces on Zayn's bed when he does. How is Zayn actually supposed to say no to anything he asks? Ever? Even if they are making plans for months and months from now and that feels like this huge risk and it makes Zayn nervous and- 

"Really," he says, and Liam kisses him again, happy and sloppy and perfect. 

"Are you staying? Or are you asking me to prom and running?" Zayn asks. 

"You want me to stay?" Liam asks, flushing. 

"I do," Zayn says.

"I'd have to leave early so I don't get caught out," Liam says. 

"We'll set an alarm," Zayn says. 

"An alarm? Like in the morning?" Liam asks, smirking a little. 

"The things I do for you," Zayn says. Liam beams at him. 

"We're not sleeping right away, are we?" Liam asks.

"I hope not," Zayn says. 

By the time they do fall asleep, naked and wrapped in each other, Zayn feels like he's buzzing, floating, melted, some combination of the remains of Niall's whiskey, Liam's touches, and the fact that Liam is still here. He almost doesn't feel like himself at all, and it's strange how good that seems. 

****

The Sunday three weeks before Regionals they all head into the city, piled into Liam's car, inhaling coffee and Mountain Dew and Pop Tarts to wake up from the day before's exhausting and late running competition. The hour and a half drive in the front seat of Liam's car is much better than the three hours on a bus Zayn normally needs to get into town, even if Louis is having some sort of breakdown. 

"Why aren't rankings updated yet?" he yells, annoyingly loud for this early. 

"Several West Coast competitions this weekend? Time zones, Lou," Liam says. 

"Well, fuck the West Coast," Louis says. 

"You're just spoiled because we haven't had to wait this long all year," Niall says. 

"I know! I'm used to knowing! I can't go from instant gratification to waiting like this. It's not fair!" Louis says. 

"Breathe," Harry says. Louis makes a face at him. 

"Weren't there a couple times last year we had to wait until Monday?" Zayn asks. 

"I'll die, I'll actually die," Louis says. 

"I know CPR," Harry offers. Louis grins at that, and Zayn can see him kissing Harry's forehead in the rearview mirror. 

"No dying in my car, please," Liam says. 

"I don't know why none of you are stressed about this! We have been on fucking fire and we deserve to be in the top five and if we fall out of the top five or god forbid the top ten I will. I don't know. Liam! Why aren't you freaking out?" Louis says. 

"Because our scores were the highest they've been yet? Because we beat six other people yesterday by a large margin?" Liam says, but then he smiles warily and adds, "and because you're freaking out enough for both of us?"

"So you are freaking out? On the inside?" Louis presses.

"You have no idea how much," Liam says. 

"Still four," Harry says suddenly, grinning up from his phone. 

"It's up?" Niall says. 

"It's up," Harry says, "We're four again."

"Everyone breathing now?" Zayn says. 

"We might be the best marching band in the world," Louis says. 

"Um. Pretty sure it's fourth best in the country," Niall says. Louis pokes his shoulder. 

"Best in the whole damn world, I love all of you," Louis says. 

"Doesn't the asterisk mean someone is the winner?" Harry asks, looking at his phone again.

"Yes. Why do we not have one?" Liam says, sounding a little panicked. Zayn grabs his hand across the console, rubbing his thumb over Liam's palm. 

"No, we do. But so does some school that's ranked at 114. How is that possible?" Harry asks. 

"Everyone else they compete against must just be really awful," Niall says. 

"So they'll probably keep winning and they'll wildcard to nationals, because you have to go if you win your Region, even if you're not ranked top thirty," Liam says. 

"Happens every year," Louis says. 

"Does anyone ever, like, go in a wildcard and make a huge showing at nationals?" Harry asks. 

"What, like a sports movie?" Zayn asks. 

"I don't know. It would be a good story, right?" Harry asks. 

"I like the story where we win and keep winning better," Liam says. 

"Well, yeah," Harry says. 

"No underdog wonder stories during our victory march please, H," Louis says. 

"Point taken," Harry says. Louis swings a leg over Harry's in the backseat, smirking. 

"Right here," Niall says from Louis' other side. Louis rolls his eyes and slings an arm around Niall. 

"Best damn marching band in the world," he repeats. 

****

 

They arrive on campus and pile out of the car, Liam making them take their cups and wrappers with them to throw out. Harry forgets his sunglasses in the car and takes the keys from Liam to run back while the rest of them throw out the remains of breakfast.

"He's making me clean up after myself," Louis stage whispers to Zayn.

"He also drove," Liam says over his shoulder. Louis grins. 

"Love you, Liam," Louis says. 

"I can tell," Liam says, slowing down so he's walking with Louis and Zayn. Louis hooks an arm with Liam's, grinning. He's in a ridiculously fantastic mood, now that he's not having a meltdown. They all are, really.

"Where're we headed, Harry?" Niall asks when Harry catches up 

"Well Zayn's tour is in like," Harry looks at his watch, "thirty minutes? And I think it starts in the lawn of that building there. I'll text Gemma to double check, and then you set up a meeting, right?" 

"I did," Zayn says, and he doesn't even roll his eyes or raise an eyebrow or tell Harry he is in fact capable of setting things up on his own. He's glad to be here, glad they're all here, glad that he's already seen fliers and posters for a million things he thinks he would want to do if he was here. He's feeling kind of stupidly light, actually, "It's at 1:30."

"Can we all eat while Zayn impresses important people?" Niall asks.

"You had four pop tarts on the way here," Liam says.

"Exactly," Niall says. 

"Actually," Harry says, and he's suddenly sort of fidgety, "I um, we can eat, but at 1:45 I set something else up?"

"I can't be somewhere at 1:30 and 1:45," Zayn says, frowning. Harry shakes his head. 

"Not for you, for Louis," Harry says. 

"What?" Louis says. He stops walking and he drops Liam and Zayn's arms and he crosses his arms over his chest, eyebrows raised. 

"Well, last time I visited Gemma there was this girl, Cher? And she does performance stuff? She's a theater major and she loved it and it sounded kind of great so I thought, since we were already coming for Zayn, you know. I'd set something up?" Harry says, fidgeting so much that Zayn winces _for_ him. He stares at Louis and sort of wills him to take this well, but he's known Louis long enough to that-

"You know I'm not worrying about college until after Nationals, you know that," Louis says, clipped and low and. This is not going to go well. Liam raises an eyebrow at Zayn over Louis' shoulder and Zayn shakes his head. 

"Well yeah, but we're already here. It's not worrying, it's just. We're already here," Harry says. 

"No," Louis says. 

"But. We're already here and it sounds really great and I printed out that article the school paper ran about our season and I have clips of you in last year's musical on my iPod and I thought-"

"You thought of everything but you know, asking me first?" Louis says. 

"I thought you'd have a harder time saying no if we were already here," Harry says. 

"You were wrong," Louis says. Niall is biting the inside of his cheek and shooting questioning eyes at Zayn who just shrugs. He has no idea what to do here. 

"Come on, Louis. Why not? It's like, a half an hour meeting. It won't kill you," Harry says. 

"Because I don't fucking want to," Louis says. Harry scowls.

"But it's awesome here and you could study and do theater and, like, room with Zayn if he goes here," Harry says. Zayn raises an eyebrow at that, and then swallows at the small sound that escapes Liam- something he almost thinks is protest. Which. That is not a thing he knew Liam was worried about. 

"I'm not doing this today," Louis says. 

"Why?" Harry says, "because you're mad at me or because you actually don't want to?"

"You can't just plan things for me because you don't like the plans I have!" Louis says.

"You don't have a plan! Your plan is to hope senior year goes on forever! But it won't, it will be over before we fucking know it, Lou, and I just, don't want to see you get stuck or, like. I wanted to help. This is important!" Harry says. 

"I didn't realize you were in such a hurry!" Louis says. 

"I'm not! I just worry about you," Harry says. 

"You know what? Let's just get it over with now, fuck the rest of the year. Why don't you just break up with me now? It'll happen before we know it anyway, right?" Louis says. Zayn is pretty sure Harry actually physically shrinks at that. 

"Come on, I didn't, I don't, that's not what I said at all," Harry says. Louis glares at him. 

"Whatever," Louis says, and then he turns and stalks away.

"Fuck, Louis where are you going? You can't walk away you don't even know anywhere to go here! Come back! Please?" Harry tries. Louis keeps walking and Harry sinks down on the ground, muttering _fuck_ into his hands over and over. 

"I'll go," Zayn says, nodding in the general direction Louis had wandered into. 

"No," Liam says, "go to your tour and your meeting."

"But," Zayn says. 

"Go," Liam says, "I can handle this. Niall and I can handle this."

"You're sure?" Zayn asks.

"Go," Niall says. 

"Don't miss things because I fucked up," Harry says. They all turn to look at him and pretend not to notice that he's crying, "Sorry, guys."

"You're fine, Haz," Niall says. 

"Seriously, Zayn, go tour. I'm good at things like this," Liam says. The thing is, Zayn sort of really wants to go, so he does, trying not to feel guilty for taking the out. 

"I'll text you when I'm done," Zayn says. Liam nods and Zayn backs away as quickly as he can without actually running. 

Zayn already knows he likes it here. He's known since the second they stepped out of the car, and so he spends his tour half listening but mostly lost in thought. More worries than thoughts, actually. He doesn't normally get trapped in worrying about things, but in the wake of Harry and Louis' fight he can't help himself. All he can do, even as he's looking at student residences that look like something he might have imagined, is worry. 

He worries about the samples of his stuff he'd brought, not a whole portfolio but just enough to discuss with someone, stuff Liam had told him was brilliant, but Liam would. He worries about Liam's reaction to Harry's comment about Louis and Zayn living together, because if that is somehow a conversation they need to have, something he needs to talk to Liam about- well, that could be bad because he knows himself well enough to know he'll never, ever start it. He worries about the things Harry and Louis had said to each other- not for them, Zayn has no doubt they'll make up, but things about next year in general because he and Liam haven't talked about that at all either. 

Not that they haven't talked about it because they're not _those_ people, because Zayn is realistic and he knows that things end and change. They haven't talked about it because he's not Louis, because all he's ever wanted is to get the hell out and the last thing he wants is for this year to drag on. He's been waiting to grow up since the sixth grade or so, maybe even longer than Louis' been fighting it. But. As much as they're not those people, as much as Zayn doesn't think that high school relationships last forever, or beyond graduation, honestly, he's terrified. He doesn't want to know. He has no idea what Liam is going to do, and he wants to keep it that way because he's a coward and he knows that if Liam said he wanted to go, like, across the country or something it would hurt so much more than he's prepared for. It would sort of kill him. So maybe they are those people. Maybe he is, anyway. 

His meeting goes really, really well- they use words like _promise_ and _talent_ and _exciting_ and they encourage him to make a real portfolio and to schedule a proper interview and it's good, it's really good, but it doesn't help Zayn's nerves any. 

He heads back out to the lawn after. His head is still racing with worries that aren't helped when he finds Liam and Niall on their own. 

"Hey!" Liam says, pulling him to a giant hug and whispering things about being proud that don't help as much as they normally would. 

"Do you want to know how it went first, or tell me where they are first?" Zayn asks. 

"We lost them," Niall says. 

"We did not lose them," Liam says. Zayn arches an eyebrow and pulls back just a little to meet Liam's eyes. 

"We took Harry to see his sister? And she said she wanted to talk to him anyway and she sent us to go get food," Niall says. 

"And when we got back Gemma said he'd gotten a text from Lou and left," Liam says. 

"So we lost them," Niall says. 

"No, because Louis texted me and said they're fine. We just don't know where they're fine. Or how true that is," Liam says. 

"Lost," Niall says. 

"Not helping," Liam shoots back. Zayn rolls his eyes. 

"Did Harry ever give your keys back, Li?" Zayn asks. Liam's eyes go wide and he hits at his pockets and then shakes his head. 

"No?" he says. 

"Zayn's so smart," Niall says. They all take off towards the small parking lot they'd left Liam's car in that morning. Niall reaches it first and lets out a loud cackle, "Of fucking course!"

"Found them?" Zayn asks smirking. 

"They're naked in my car, aren't they?" Liam asks, eyes closed. 

"Not entirely," Niall says, still laughing. 

"Knock or something, would you?" Liam says. Niall does and after a minute Harry pops a sheepish looking head up and there is what looks like a scramble in the backseat.

"I'm not even surprised," Zayn says. 

"I'm making them rent me one of those steam-vacuum things. My car. We've never even, in my car," Liam says. 

"We can if you want to," Zayn says, trying not to laugh. 

"It's not funny!" Liam says, but he's halfway towards a giggle as he says it.

"It kind of is," Zayn says. 

"I know," Liam says. 

****

The competition before Regionals is another easy one, only four schools and no one who has come close to their scores all year. Danielle finds Zayn in the concession line after their performance, buying gross coffees and cheap nachos for himself and Liam, who'd had official band president duties to do before joining everyone in the stands. 

"Hi," Danielle says. 

"Hey," Zayn says. 

"So, um. I was watching the tape of last week's performance this morning, and us compared to everyone else we've seen this year, to everyone I've ever seen- everything just fits really well, so many schools, like, don't know what to do with their dance teams or whatever they have, but you made it all fit. You did an amazing job. I wanted to tell you that," Danielle says with a look on her face that says she didn't really come to tell Zayn that at all, even though he knows she means it. 

"Thank you. I'm glad? I mean, I didn't know what I was doing, but. People seem to think I didn't mess it up," Zayn says. Danielle rolls her eyes. 

"It's sort of phenomenal, actually. You should be proud," she says. Zayn shrugs.

"Thanks," he says again. 

"You need help carrying that?" Danielle asks, taking one of the bowls out of his hand before he really has a chance to answer, "So, um, thank you," she says. 

"For writing drill?" Zayn asks. 

"For," Danielle pauses, "making Liam happy."

"Oh," Zayn says. 

"I know this is a weird conversation, sorry. I just thought it would be weirder if I never said anything, right?" Danielle says. 

"I guess?" Zayn says. 

"There's not exactly a handbook for when your fake boyfriend gets an actual boyfriend, I don't really know what to say, but, he's really happy and I like that?" Danielle says. Zayn swallows. 

"Good?" Zayn attempts.

"I don't really know you, and to be honest I wasn't sure how long this was going to last, but like, you guys are still doing this and he talks about you constantly and he's happy, so I thought, maybe I should get to know you," Danielle says, and she's studying him like she's waiting for him and Zayn gets the impression he needs to say the right thing here. 

"I want it to last, I'm happy and I like that he's happy. I like him. A lot," Zayn says. 

"Everyone likes Liam," Danielle says, not mean at all but more gentle and like she's still waiting for something from Zayn. It reminds him a little of what Niall had said, about Liam being everyone's.

"I know, but I have a hard time liking a lot of people. I have a hard time not liking Liam entirely too much for high school," Zayn says. Danielle smiles like that was a good answer. 

"Well. In that case you and I are going to have to be friends. I'll go easy on you, I promise," Danielle says.  
"I don't have a choice?" Zayn asks, but he's grinning. He thinks Liam will probably really like it if they're friends. 

"Not really," Danielle says, "I'd have you shake on it but we're holding fake cheese."

"We can just pretend we shook on it," Zayn says. 

"We could do that," Danielle says, grinning. They reach the bleachers and Danielle hands him his second bowl and coffee and heads over to her own seat. 

"Everything okay there?" Harry asks as Zayn settles in. 

"I don't recognize my own life," Zayn says. 

"I don't know if that was a yes or a no," Harry says. Zayn sighs. 

"It was a weird yes," Zayn says. 

"High school is weird," Harry says, fiddling with the drumsticks he keeps in his pockets in the stands every week now because after he'd done it the first week Louis had declared them good luck and said Harry had to do it forever. 

"I guess," Zayn says, "they're not back yet?"

"Liam and Paul are going over something? Permission forms for nationals, I guess? And Louis had to go shake hands with the drum majors from the other bands and Niall like, knows some guy in the one? So he went too," Harry says. 

"You didn't?" Zayn asks. 

"I actually kind of wanted to apologize to you?" Harry says. 

"For what?" Zayn asks.

"Well, the thing. When Louis and I fought and ruined your tour," Harry says. 

"It wasn't ruined," Zayn says. 

"No?"

"No," Zayn says. 

"I um, I don't want you to think- I really did want you to go, Gemma loves it and I thought of you, and it wasn't like, I don't want you to think it was all a ploy to get Louis up there," Harry says. 

"I didn't think that," Zayn says, which is sort of a lie, but whatever. 

"You didn’t?" Harry asks, arching an eyebrow in disbelief. 

"Maybe once or twice. But I don't blame you if it was," Zayn says. 

'It wasn't. I didn't even, the Louis part occurred to me after," Harry says. 

"Okay," Zayn says. 

"Honestly," Harry says, and he looks sort of desperate and it makes Zayn feel like he should let him know the day wasn't a loss at all.

"I really liked it, I mean, I already applied a couple of places, and I want to do a few more to be safe, but it's at the very top of my list. Thank you," Zayn says. Harry beams. 

"Yeah?" he asks. 

"Yeah," Zayn says. Harry grins again, then bites his lip.

"What, do you know what Louis' so scared of?" Harry asks. 

"What is there not be scared of?" Zayn returns.

"No, I know that, but, like. I know he's not good with the idea of growing up and I know thinks everything might be ruined when we all go to college or whatever, but I didn't think he'd react like that," Harry says. Zayn sighs, Harry is looking at him with big pleading eyes like he wants Zayn to explain, and Zayn feels like he has to try. 

"I think, like, this is everything he's wanted since freshman year, right? He's drum major and we're kicking ass, the musical is pretty much being written around him, I think, and he has you. Those were kind of the only things he's wanted since the first day we stepped in the doors of that school, he never even thought to want beyond them, really? And he's afraid if it all goes away, not just band and shit, but us and you most of all," Zayn says. Harry looks at him for a long moment like he's considering all of that. 

"I don't plan to go anywhere though, and I don't think you guys do either. Is that naive?" Harry asks. 

"A little," Zayn says. 

"I just don't know how to get him to see that college applications aren't breakups. Can't I want him and college?" Harry asks. 

"I don't know what to tell you," Zayn says.

"Just because some things change, that doesn't mean everything has to," Harry says. 

"Do you want me to say something to him?" Zayn asks. Harry sighs. 

"We'll work it out," he says. 

"I still think you guys are really good for each other, for what it's worth," Zayn says. 

"It's worth a lot," Harry says. He lays a head down on Zayn's shoulder, "Your fake cheese is hardening," Harry says. 

Seriously. Zayn doesn't recognize his own life. 

 

***

The night before Regionals, Louis flops into Zayn's room looking like hell. 

"We're not going to magically start sucking tomorrow," Zayn calls. 

"We might!" Louis says. 

"I'm working on something," Zayn says, but he closes his sketch pad as he does it. 

"I need you!" Louis says, throwing himself on Zayn's bed. 

"Can't you climb in Harry's window?" Zayn asks. 

"Not when I need to talk to you about Harry!" Louis says. 

"I thought you were freaking out about regionals," Zayn says. 

"I can freak out about more than one thing at once. I'm a very deep man," Louis says. 

"You're not leaving, are you?" Zayn asks. 

"Of course I'm not," Louis says. 

"Seriously, we'll be fine tomorrow," Zayn says. 

"I can't be the drum major who fucked up on ten years," Louis says. 

"Good, because you won't be," Zayn says. Louis throws his legs over Zayn's.

"I promised Harry I'd send out college applications when we get back from Nationals," Louis says. 

"Good," Zayn says. 

"He's trying to leave me," Louis says, pulling a pillow over his face.

"I promise you, he's not," Zayn says. 

"I know, I mean, I think I know that," Louis says. 

"Good," Zayn says. 

"But I said awful things and I wouldn't blame him if he was," Louis says. 

"I heard them," Zayn says. 

"There were more," Louis says. 

"More?" Zayn asks. 

"Yes," Louis says, still into the pillow. Zayn pulls the pillow away. 

"In between the first fight and the car sex?" Zayn asks. 

"I might have accused him of flirting with the performing arts girl," Louis says miserably.

"Who?"

"The one from the story, she goes there and she loves it and he thought I would love it? I might have accused him of wanting me to go there as an excuse to see her," Louis says. 

"Oh my God, Louis," Zayn says. 

"I know, I know. Help me!" Louis says. Zayn sighs. 

"When did I become the relationship help guy?" Zayn asks. 

"Just. Say something wise," Louis says. 

"Wise?" Zayn asks. 

"Didn't you, like, read a book like this once?" Louis asks. 

"I really think it will all work out. We have this whole year, and summer, and we're going to be champions and have that hotel room and you have a musical to star in, and Harry is crazy about you, he's not leaving you," Zayn says. 

"What if we lose tomorrow and Harry leaves me?" Louis asks.

"That's not going to happen," Zayn says. 

"Can I move into your bed if it does?" Louis asks. 

"Sure, Lou."

"Can I stay here tonight?" Louis asks. 

"I already assumed you were," Zayn says. Louis grins at him and snuggles into his bed.

"It smells like Liam over here," Louis says. Zayn rolls his eyes. 

"Have you been smelling Liam?"

"Not as much as you, obviously," Louis says. 

"Obviously," Zayn says. 

"You're not going to let me drink the vodka that might or might not be in my bag, are you?" Louis asks.

"Not a chance," Zayn says. 

"We can't toast to ten years?"

"Not till we win it," Zayn says. 

"Such a good influence, Zaynie," Louis says. Zayn rolls his eyes but then takes off his glasses and settles down next to Louis in bed. 

****

Zayn is adding pages of his Regional Championship winning drill to his application packet the Sunday after their win when there is a knock on his window. He's still buzzed from yesterday, from the feeling of the moment when they'd announced them as the champions for the tenth year in a row, the feeling of watching Louis practically bouncing to go get their giant trophy, the way he'd hugged Liam for a full minute, overjoyed and prouder of himself than he'd let himself be until then. (Sometimes, there are raised eyebrows in their direction, more in Louis and Harry's, but they get some too, from Paul and the band parents and the staff. He's not sure how much they know, obviously not enough to not let them room together, but they must suspect. Zayn isn't sure what, if anything, will happen if their suspicion ever grows.)

He looks over and motions Liam into his room, beaming.

"I think I'm still like, tingling," Liam says, crawling in Zayn's window and then closing it again, keeping out the November air.

"I know, Louis' been talking about this forever, but I didn't know ten years would feel this awesome," Zayn says. Liam walks over and sits on Zayn's lap, kissing him. 

"Did you know we're ranked three?" Liam asks. 

"I saw," Zayn says, pulling Liam in closer. He'd been more excited about that than he would have thought too, and he'd gotten more of a rush than he would have thought at seeing their rival ranked way down at 40. 

"No cars in the driveway?" Liam asks. 

"All driven away," Zayn says. Liam kisses him again, grinning. 

"Am I interrupting?" Liam asks. 

"Yes, but you didn't wake me up, so," Zayn says. 

"One of these days I'll call you first," Liam says. 

"Why start now?" Zayn asks. Liam grins and stands up, pulling Zayn up too and walking backwards until his knees hit Zayn's bed. 

"I'm proud of you, you know. Paul has been saying that your drill has like, national buzz," Liam says. 

"Seriously?"

"With us doing so well, and it being student written? You're kind of a big deal," Liam says. 

"Whatever," Zayn says, flushing. Liam rolls his eyes fondly and pulls Zayn down onto the bed, crawling backwards. Zayn follows him, grinning. Liam puts a hand back towards a pillow, then makes a face.

"Sorry, don't want to crush your- Louis' glasses," Liam says, examining the glasses he'd pulled out from under the pillow. 

"Right," Zayn says, swallowing.

"Louis'?" Liam repeats, he sits up and pulls himself in, arms around his knees. 

"It's not, Li. He just left them here, it's not," Zayn attempts, sitting back himself and trying not to panic. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. 

"Don't," Liam says, "I'm not accusing you of anything, Zayn. I know it's not like that."

"Okay?" Zayn says. 

"I know he sleeps here sometimes and I'm not. Jealous. Or worried or whatever. I don't think anything is happening. But," Liam says. 

"But?"

"Did it ever?" Liam asks. 

"Did, what?" Zayn asks. Liam sighs. 

"I. Before me, there were girls you dated, but there was also. The guy you were with before me. Was it Louis?" Liam asks.

"Liam," Zayn says. 

"I don't care if it was, I don't, I just need to know," Liam says. 

"Yes," Zayn says. Liam leans back against the headboard.

"Okay," he says. 

"Not. Not like you think, probably," Zayn says.

"Okay," Liam says again. Zayn reaches out and puts a hand on Liam's knee. 

"It wasn't like, I was figuring things out and Louis was more than willing to help and-"

"You don't have to do that," Liam says. 

"It's true," Zayn says. 

"I believe you, and I don't," Liam opens his eyes and looks at Zayn, "I trust you, both of you, and I'm not jealous and I know that whatever happened doesn't happen anymore."

"Not in like, two years," Zayn says, "I promise."

"I believe you, and maybe one day I'll want to hear the whole story, but not tonight," Liam says. 

"You're not mad?" Zayn asks. 

"Nothing to be mad at, right?" Liam asks, then he grabs Zayn's hand, "But. I um. I did have one question for now. Sort of."

"Sort of?" Zayn asks. 

"I was sort of thinking, if. Can we do something that I'd be your first at? Like, right now. This afternoon?" Liam asks, scooting in so he's very much in Zayn's space again. 

"You don't have to do that," Zayn says. 

"I want to," Liam says. 

"You want to, what, exactly?" Zayn asks. 

"I think that's the part you tell me," Liam says. 

"We’ve already, I mean, no one but you has ever stayed here naked all night," Zayn says. Liam smiles. 

"I'm glad," Liam says. 

"And there was that time that we like, what, four times?" Zayn asks. 

"In two hours," Liam says.

"We do things I'd never done before all the time," Zayn says. 

"Good, but that's not what I meant," Liam says. 

"I know what you meant, but I don't even- we'd have to like, I don't know, watch porn for research first or something. Ask google. Because aren't there, like, I don't even know, I think we need things I don't have in my room? Or. I don't know," Zayn says. 

"Oh," Liam says. 

"You're not competing with anyone," Zayn says. 

"I know," Liam says, then he sort of smirks again, "porn for research, huh?"

"That would actually be a thing I've never done with anyone," Zayn says. 

"The research part or the porn with another person part?" Liam asks. 

"Both," Zayn says. Liam grins. 

"It's a good start," he says. Zayn reaches for his laptop, grinning. He doesn’t know what he did, exactly, to deserve Liam. But seriously, thank God he did it. Thank god for Liam.

That night he texts Louis,

_told Liam. about us._

Because he feels like Louis needs to know. Louis texts back a minute later.

 _I told Harry Im in love with him_

Zayn grins at his phone. It's like they're all growing up, or something,

****

Niall sneaks into their room about a minute after last checks, and they push their two queen sized beds together to make one giant one, spreading their gas-station-purchased snacks out between them. 

"To the best marching band in the whole damn world," Louis says, lifting up his water bottle in toast.

"To our fearless drum major," Zayn says, toasting back.

"To Niall's badass guitar solo," Harry says. 

"To Zayn's scholarship-nominated drill writing," Liam says. Earlier that day he'd been organizing some mass stack of papers for the band while everyone else settled in, and he'd come across a letter in Paul's stack, informing him that scholarship committee agreed and would very seriously be considering Zayn for an award. He'd taken a picture with his phone and they'd all just sort of stared at it for a minute when he'd showed it to them, a little stunned. Then Zayn had pulled Liam into the bathroom. To celebrate. Because hey, there's only so often you're in a hotel room with your boyfriend when you're seventeen and among the best bands in the nation and you might get a scholarship and all your best friends are there too and- you just can't let moments like that go. 

"To Liam for looking at papers he shouldn't and telling us things like that in advance," Louis says. 

"To Harry and his lucky pocket drumsticks," Zayn says. 

"I still think it might be your hair that's lucky, H," Niall says. 

"I still think we don't need luck at all," Liam says. 

"A little luck never hurt anyone," Louis throws back, punctuating it with a cheese curl to Liam's head. 

"He has a point," Niall says. 

"What if we win?" Harry says. 

"We never win Nationals," Liam says. 

"But what if we win and Zayn gets a scholarship and we're actually the best in the whole country?" Harry asks. 

"Winning has been passed between the same three schools for like, twenty years, it's just one of those things," Niall says. 

"Yeah, but we've never gone in top three, have we?" Harry asks. 

"Never," Zayn confirms. 

"So, what if we win? Ten year champions and best in the nation," Harry says. 

"It's got a nice ring to it," Niall says. 

"If we win I swear to God I'd marry all of you," Louis says. 

"I don't think that's legal like, anywhere," Liam says. 

"It would be a marriage in my heart, Liam," Louis says. 

"Would we all be married to each other, or just to you?" Niall asks. 

"Each other. It's no fair otherwise," Harry says. 

"We're all marrying each other… in Louis' heart?" Zayn asks. 

"If we win Nationals," Liam says. 

"Everyone loves a winner," Zayn says. They're all sort of slap-happy from the bus ride and the excitement of the weekend. They're all sort of touching and woven together, reaching for chips and knees bumping and just happier than Zayn can ever remember being. Louis reaches under the bed for his bag and pulls out five small pamphlets. 

"It's not a marriage proposal, but I did have a proposition for you all," Louis says. 

"Which is?" Liam asks. 

"So, you all saw me sort of meltdown about college and shit a couple weeks ago, and I'm still not. You know. Happy about any of it. But. If I have to apply and think about what happens after graduation and all, and Harry says I do- I thought of a thing to do after graduation that I want you all to do with me," Louis says, and he hands them each a brochure.

"Drum Corps?" Zayn asks, eyebrows raised. 

"There are auditions only an hour away in March, and if we all went it would be, we could spend the summer just us, or us and hundreds of other people, but mostly just us because those people would be strangers. And we'd be travelling around the county and like, sleeping on gym floors and buses," Louis says, biting his lip at all of them almost like he's nervous. 

"Isn't this like, aren't they really hard to get into? This is a really good one, right?" Liam asks.

"It's the best one, but we're the best. We're the third best band in the country, remember?" Louis says. 

"We should try," Niall says.

"Yes!" Louis says, tackling hugging Niall and knocking him over so they land on Liam. 

"Hey, no orgies until we're all married in your heart, Lou," Niall says, grinning. 

"It would be an amazing opportunity," Liam says from under Niall.

"Is that a yes?" Louis asks. 

"To auditions, at least," Liam says. 

"You'll send out applications and have interviews if we all do this, right?" Harry asks. 

"I promise," Louis says. 

"Sleeping bags on gym floors, huh?" he asks. 

"And tour buses, and all day practices in the sun," Zayn adds, catching Harry's eye. 

"And once you're in one year, it says a lot of people do it all through college," Harry says, grinning back.

"Gym floors every summer?" Zayn asks. 

"Gym floors every summer for the five of us," Harry says. 

"What if I start to hate all of you?" Zayn asks. 

"You couldn't hate us," Harry says. 

"Oh my god, both of you. Please say yes before I die," Louis says. 

"Obviously yes," Harry says, leaning over to kiss Louis quickly. 

"This is some ploy to make me admit I've grown to like band," Zayn says. 

"You love it, and it loves you, throws scholarship money at you," Louis says. 

"Not yet. But, yes," Zayn says. 

"To loving band, doing drum corps, or marrying everyone?" Louis asks.

"All of the above," Zayn says. 

"It'll be like our cold gym floor honeymoon," Harry says. 

They clink the spoons from their rapidly melting ice cream and grin at each other, and it's one of those frozen moments, one that Zayn replays in his mind over and over as soon as it ends. He thinks it doesn't matter if they come in first or 33rd tomorrow, that it doesn't matter if he gets a scholarship or not, that it doesn't matter if he gets into the school he wants or some school he's not excited about at all, that it doesn't matter if they all make drum corps when they audition or not, that it doesn't matter if Liam goes to school down the block or across the country. It will all matter again in the morning but right now this is actually happening, this a moment he's actually getting to live, and he's ridiculously grateful for it. 

This is his life, and he hasn't even managed to escape high school or their town yet, and Zayn thinks, in a moment so hopeful he almost feels like Harry for thinking it, that if he can have moments like this while he's still stuck in a place he hates, then maybe the rest of his life is going to be pretty fantastic. 

When they come in second and he leaves with scholarship money to the school of his choosing, that feeling grows. Optimism is a weird thing, catchier and longer lasting than he would have thought. He hopes it stays.


End file.
